1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information display device, such as FA (factory automation) equipment, a vending machine, a ticket-vending machine, an automated cash dispenser, electronic household appliances, medical operation devices, information devices, and a game machine, by which information can be transmitted to an operator through both the sense of sight and the sense of touch and a supporting frame for use with a piezoelectric element in such an information display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
The arrangement and structure of an information display device disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent application No. 11-212725, will be described below with reference to the drawings as an example of a related-art information display device.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing an information display device according to the related art, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a support structure for supporting a piezoelectric element according to the related art.
An information display device according to the related art, generally denoted by the reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1, is disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent application No. 11-212725. As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 10 is disposed on a liquid-crystal display (LCD) panel 20, and this operation panel is supported by piezoelectric elements E1 to E4. When the user presses an operation surface 11 of the operation panel 10 with a finger, a voltage is generated across both ends of the piezoelectric elements E1 to E4, and it is possible to detect the operation force and the operation position by detecting and calculating the thus generated voltage. When the operation force of a magnitude larger than a predetermined threshold value is detected, a high frequency is supplied to the piezoelectric elements E1 to E4, whereby the operation surface 11 is vibrated. Thus, the operator can reliably feel the sense of operation from the above vibration. As described above, the common piezoelectric elements E1 to E4 can detect the operation force to the operation surface 11 and can vibrate the operation surface 11. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 30 denotes the case of this information display device according to the related art.
Japanese laid-open patent application No. 2002-259059 discloses a panel structure by which a period of the sense of power is given to the sense of touch of the finger of the operator and an input device of an information display device using a piezoelectric element.
An example of the support structure for the aforementioned piezoelectric elements E1 to E4 (typically represented as a “piezoelectric element E”) will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the structure of this support structure is such that a strip-like piezoelectric element E (hereinafter referred to as a “strip-like piezoelectric element E”) is supported at its respective end portions in a line-contact fashion by hard protruded members Na, Nb whose supporting portions are shaped like dots, or lines and both sides of the protruded portions Na, Nb and the lower surface of the strip-like piezoelectric element E are bonded by a soft material member Ad.
Since this supporting structure uses the dot-like or linear protruded members Na, Nb, there is the advantage that the strip-like piezoelectric element E cannot be disturbed from being deformed as a restriction of the direction in which the touch of sense is transmitted to the operator. Also, the strip-like piezoelectric element E and the protruded members Na, Nb can be bonded together by using the soft material member Ad like the adhesive. In FIG. 2, reference character LCD denotes a liquid-crystal display panel.
[Cited Patent Reference 1]:
Japanese laid-open patent application No. 11-212725 (page 1, FIG. 1)
[Cited Patent Reference 2]:
Japanese laid-open patent application No. 2002-259059 (pages 1 and 7 and FIG. 6)
However, in the case of this supporting structure, the protruded members Na, Nb has to be bonded to and fixed to the strip-like piezoelectric element E in advance. Therefore, problems arise, in which assembly efficiency is very poor and in which dispersions of the displacement of the supporting structure of the piezoelectric element due to the assembly are large.